title: An unusually large pleural mesothelioma with an outstanding clinical response and long lasting survival: a case report and literature review.
abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a neoplasm characterized by an increasing incidence and poor prognosis. When surgical treatment cannot be performed, systemic chemotherapy remains the main therapeutic option. Here we report the case of a 41-year-old female patient with epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma who was treated with carboplatin and pemetrexed despite her critical condition. She showed an impressive response to this first-line chemotherapy and, after disease progression, to further chemotherapy with gemcitabine and vinorelbine. She is still alive, with unexpectedly long-lasting survival.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit 2, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. nicoletta.zilembo@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zilembo
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pietrantonio
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Platania
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bajetta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014747:Vinblastine; D006147:Guanine; D016190:Carboplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine